2-Click Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) Reporting with HCM Software

Friday, September 22, 2017

Despite the flurry of efforts to repeal it, the Affordable Health Care Act is still the law. So, if you’re the administrator of a nursing home, the ACA’s Payroll Based Journaling (PBJ) reporting requirements can be daunting.

What Is Payroll Based Journaling (PBJ)?

PBJ is a reporting requirement developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that enables the collection of staffing and census information in an effort to more accurately and effectively gauge the quality of care in nursing homes. As a result, nursing homes must track all hours spent providing care for a broad range of employees, from agency staff and contract workers and across a long list of positions, from nursing directors to clinical laboratory directors. This information must be electronically submitted in a correctly formatted XML file to CMS every quarter by the following dates:

Q1: May 15

Q2: August 14

Q3: November 14

Q4: February 14

Reporting requirements began July 1, 2016. But as many nursing home administrators have discovered, it can be a challenging process – a nightmare if you track time manually and painful if your time and attendance system is not set up to report PBJ based on CMS requirements. Mistakes can expose a facility to citations and even financial penalties.

Do You Find PBJ Reporting a Challenge?

At SBS Payroll, our clients have access to PBJ reporting capability through iSolved HCM and its native time and attendance functionality. Called iSolved Time, the software allows employers to track and monitor meals, breaks, and overtime, then calculate and manage comp time, monitor errors, and manage other time policies for complete and accurate time cards.

iSolved Time can easily be configured by SBS Payroll with your employee information to satisfy PBJ reporting requirements. One click produces an XML file that can be uploaded to the CMS website with another click of the mouse. Two clicks and you’re done, every quarter.

As a result, SBS Payroll clients using iSolved HCM can save time and aggravation, while also improving the accuracy of ACA reporting, leaving your skilled nursing facility with more time to focus on the real mission: providing quality patient care. How does this compare with your PBJ?